Going 7A-FE to 3S-GE BEAMS?, Any major differences from the 5S-FE - 3S-GE BEAMS swap? Options

[AnaXyd]

Hi!

I am really tired of the 7A-FE engine now. The Celica look like a sportscar, but perform like a... yeah, it perform badly. I want to keep the cocky guys behind me, when they try to race against me, not in front.

And the 7A-FE have been rolling nearly 200.000km, and very soon I need to change timing belt, water and oil pumps, clutch and so on. So the thought "swap engine" came by.

Since I live in Norway, its really strict laws of swapping engines. But I am 99% sure that I can swap into the 3S-GE legally, without changing all the suspension, brakes and so on.

So, we have the engine, but which generation? Then the other thought "BEAMS" came by. Its the same engine code, but a lot better.(right? )

VVT-i, 200horsepower, sexy look and so on


BUT the big question is: Will this be simple, or not? I think I am going to buy a RHD frontcut, but my car is LHD, so I think it will be some playing with the harness.

Is there anyone that have done this swap? I cant find any with the search, so this is maybe a really rare swap.

This post has been edited by AnaXyd: Apr 29, 2010 - 4:46 PM

[AnaXyd]

Yeah, I should do it when I got the possibility. It cant be so expensive to do it myself, so why not!

--

And there, I think my dream jus got blown... After talking to Toyota Norway.

My plan was to get this swap street legal here in Norway, but I was now told by a technician in Toyota that it would be too much headache. He said that I needed to change the brakes at the front, some stiffness bars in the engine bay(?), and get it emission legal. Toyota Norway says that I need to rebuild my car to the exact same as the car I am getting the engine from.

That sucked, I really wanted to become the first in Norway to do this swap....

didn't want to kill your dreams but the truth with the 7afe swap is that its a lot of headache..... BUT! if u wanna do it please have patience u will need it..... i found that out the hard way with mine .. (nb.. i use mine to go to work .. and that was a drag not having it for the last 2 months) .... the sub frames in the st models are different from the gt. when i got the mounts for the regular 3sge (thats the swap that i did not the beams but they are similar) i realize that i had to use back my mounts and the mechanic had to fabricate the brackets to fit. only the right side mount i used and even then u have to bore the holes for that. then also after mounting the engine with the other mounts i realize that the engine is 1" and a half over to the left hence the original axle that i bought for the 3sge was short on the right side and now i had to cut the original 7afe axle and weld it for it to fit. so right now i am currently searching for a longer axle or just to take my car to another mechanic and let then figure out how to mount the engine properly oh and i have the original 7afe axle (left side)in it but other than that it drives well. have other stuff to tell u that i went through but i have to go pick up the wife so later.

Oh, that looks like a lot of problems! Especially the axle problem, which I dont want to risk to not fit. But are you done with the swap now? Everything is solved?

Maybe if you got a 1/2 cut you'd get the brakes etc, but that'll cost a bit more

Hmm other options: You could look for an imported SS series? or maybe swap the beams into a EDM GT (since they have similar brakes bracing etc)

Yeah, that would be really expensive i think..

Are there imported BEAMS engines, like LHD? And I really dont want to change the car, since I have done a LOT of fabricating and work on it. Especially love! But there may be a chance to change into the 3S-GE non-beams, without headache? If I find anything, though.

This was so sad, I was SO close buying that clip!

This post has been edited by AnaXyd: May 4, 2010 - 2:07 AM